Authored by the expert who managed and guided the team behind the Japan Property Pack
Everything you need to know before buying real estate is included in our Japan Property Pack
Hiroshima is one of Japan's most livable cities, offering more realistic prices than Tokyo or Osaka while maintaining strong infrastructure and quality of life.
But buying residential property here as a foreigner comes with specific risks that many overseas buyers only discover after it's too late.
This guide covers the scams, grey areas, and verification steps that actually matter in Hiroshima right now, and we constantly update this blog post to reflect the latest market conditions.
And if you're planning to buy a property in this place, you may want to download our pack covering the real estate market in Hiroshima.
How risky is buying property in Hiroshima as a foreigner in 2026?
Can foreigners legally own properties in Hiroshima in 2026?
As of early 2026, foreigners can legally buy and own residential land and buildings in Hiroshima with the same rights as Japanese nationals, which is unusual compared to many Asian countries that restrict foreign ownership.
Unlike Australia, Singapore, or Thailand, Japan imposes no nationality-based restrictions, additional taxes, or approval requirements on foreign property buyers in Hiroshima or elsewhere in the country.
Since direct ownership is fully permitted, foreigners in Hiroshima do not need to use nominee structures, company formations, or leasehold workarounds that are common in other markets where restrictions apply.
The key thing to understand is that your ownership in Hiroshima is established through Japan's real property registration system at the Legal Affairs Bureau, not through possession or utility bills, so the registry is your ultimate proof of ownership.
[VARIABLE FOREIGNER-RIGHTS]What buyer rights do foreigners actually have in Hiroshima in 2026?
As of early 2026, foreigners in Hiroshima have the same legal buyer rights as Japanese citizens, including the right to take legal action if a seller breaches a contract, access the registry to verify ownership, and receive the mandatory Important Matters Explanation before signing.
If a seller in Hiroshima breaches a contract, a foreign buyer can pursue remedies through Japan's civil court system, which includes mediation, arbitration, or litigation, and Japan's courts have a strong track record of enforcing property contracts when proper documentation exists.
The most common right that foreigners mistakenly assume they have in Hiroshima is the ability to walk away after paying a deposit without consequences, but Japanese law treats earnest money deposits differently than many Western countries, and you may forfeit the deposit if you back out without a valid contractual reason.
How strong is contract enforcement in Hiroshima right now?
Contract enforcement for real estate transactions in Hiroshima is strong by global standards, with Japan consistently ranking in the top 20 countries worldwide on civil justice measures according to the World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2025, comparable to Germany and better than the United States or France.
The main weakness that foreigners should be aware of in Hiroshima is that enforcement becomes much harder if you relied on informal communications like LINE messages, verbal promises, or side agreements instead of documented terms in the official contract, so you need everything important in writing through the proper channels.
By the way, we detail all the documents you need and what they mean in our property pack covering Hiroshima.
Buying real estate in Hiroshima can be risky
An increasing number of foreign investors are showing interest. However, 90% of them will make mistakes. Avoid the pitfalls with our comprehensive guide.
Which scams target foreign buyers in Hiroshima right now?
Are scams against foreigners common in Hiroshima right now?
Scams targeting foreigners in Hiroshima are not an everyday event, but Japan overall is experiencing a fraud surge, with the National Police Agency reporting over 38,000 fraud cases and 276 billion yen in losses through November 2025, so the risk environment is higher than many foreigners expect.
The type of property transaction most frequently targeted by scammers in Hiroshima involves remote or online-initiated deals where buyers have not physically visited the property or met the agent in person, which is especially risky for overseas buyers trying to purchase before relocating.
The profile of foreign buyer most commonly targeted in Hiroshima is someone who is unfamiliar with Japanese, relies heavily on a single "helper" or intermediary, and feels time pressure to secure a property quickly, especially those buying remotely from overseas.
The single biggest warning sign that a deal may be a scam in Hiroshima is when someone asks you to send money to a bank account before you have verified the agent's license and pulled the official registry certificate yourself, especially if the payment instructions come through chat apps like LINE rather than formal channels.
What are the top three scams foreigners face in Hiroshima right now?
The top three scams foreigners face in Hiroshima right now are payment redirection through impersonation (someone pretending to be your agent or lawyer and sending fake bank details), deposit traps using Japanese-style earnest money where scammers pressure you into "non-refundable" payments before proper documentation, and hazard zone concealment where sellers hide the fact that a property sits in a landslide or flood risk area.
The payment redirection scam typically unfolds when a scammer monitors your transaction, then sends a message that looks like it comes from your agent or judicial scrivener with "updated" bank account details, and once you transfer the deposit or purchase funds, the money disappears and the scammer vanishes.
The most effective protection against each scam is to verify the broker's license on MLIT's official database before engaging, never accept payment instructions through chat apps alone but instead call a known number to confirm, and check Hiroshima City's landslide hazard maps and the national hazard portal before you emotionally commit to any property.
We did some research and made this infographic to help you quickly compare rental yields of the major cities in Japan versus those in neighboring countries. It provides a clear view of how this country positions itself as a real estate investment destination, which might interest you if you’re planning to invest there.
How do I verify the seller and ownership in Hiroshima without getting fooled?
How do I confirm the seller is the real owner in Hiroshima?
The standard verification process in Hiroshima is to obtain the Real Property Registry Certificate (登記事項証明書) for both land and building from the Legal Affairs Bureau, which shows the current registered owner, their address, and any mortgages or encumbrances on the property.
The official document foreigners should check in Hiroshima is the registry certificate itself, which you can obtain directly from the Legal Affairs Bureau online system or at a local branch, and you should not rely on copies provided by the seller alone.
The most common trick fake sellers use in Hiroshima is to provide convincing-looking "registry documents" that are actually photocopies or altered versions while resisting your attempts to pull the certificate directly, and while outright title fraud is rare in Japan thanks to the registry system, impersonation scams do occur especially with elderly property owners or complicated inheritance situations.
Where do I check liens or mortgages on a property in Hiroshima?
The official place to check liens or mortgages on a property in Hiroshima is the same Real Property Registry at the Legal Affairs Bureau, where all registered mortgages (抵当権), liens, and other encumbrances are recorded on the property's certificate.
When checking for liens in Hiroshima, you should request to see all entries under the "Rights Section" of the registry certificate, which will show any outstanding mortgages, their amounts, the creditor names, and the conditions for release.
The type of lien most commonly missed by foreign buyers in Hiroshima is an existing mortgage that the seller promises to clear at settlement but fails to arrange properly, leaving you with a property that still has the bank's claim attached, so you should insist that your judicial scrivener confirms mortgage cancellation as part of the closing process.
It's one of the aspects we cover in our our pack about the real estate market in Hiroshima.
How do I spot forged documents in Hiroshima right now?
The most common type of forged document used in property scams in Hiroshima is a fake or altered registry certificate, though this is rare thanks to Japan's robust verification system, as you can always pull the official certificate yourself rather than relying on what the seller provides.
The specific red flags that indicate a document may be forged in Hiroshima include sellers who resist letting you obtain registry documents directly, bank account names that do not match the contracting party, and brokers who cannot provide their license number or whose license does not appear in MLIT's official database.
The official verification method you should use in Hiroshima is to pull all documents yourself through official channels, including obtaining the registry certificate from the Legal Affairs Bureau system and checking the broker's license on MLIT's online lookup tool, rather than accepting any document at face value.
Get the full checklist for your due diligence in Hiroshima
Don't repeat the same mistakes others have made before you. Make sure everything is in order before signing your sales contract.
What "grey-area" practices should I watch for in Hiroshima?
What hidden costs surprise foreigners when buying a property in Hiroshima?
The three most common hidden costs that foreigners overlook in Hiroshima are the Real Property Acquisition Tax (不動産取得税) which can be 3-4% of assessed value and arrives months after purchase (around 300,000 to 1,200,000 yen / $2,000 to $8,000 USD / €1,900 to €7,500 EUR for a typical home), stamp duty on the contract (typically 10,000 to 60,000 yen / $65 to $400 USD / €60 to €375 EUR), and for condos the repair reserve fund that can require large one-time contributions if underfunded.
The hidden cost most often deliberately concealed by sellers or agents in Hiroshima is upcoming large-scale condo repair assessments or reserve fund shortfalls, which sometimes happens when the management association has approved a major repair plan that will require significant contributions from each unit owner shortly after purchase.
If you want to go into more details, we also have a blog article detailing all the property taxes and fees in Hiroshima.
Are "cash under the table" requests common in Hiroshima right now?
Cash under the table requests in Hiroshima property transactions are not the default in mainstream deals, but they do sometimes happen when sellers try to understate the contract price to reduce stamp duty or avoid full tax reporting, especially in older properties or deals outside the major agencies.
The typical reason sellers give for requesting undeclared cash payments in Hiroshima is to "save on taxes for both parties" by writing a lower purchase price on the official contract while collecting the difference in cash, which they present as a mutual benefit.
The legal risks foreigners face if they agree to an undeclared cash payment in Hiroshima include tax evasion charges, difficulty proving what you actually paid if a dispute arises, potential invalidation of the contract, and problems if you later try to sell the property and the price history looks inconsistent.
Are side agreements used to bypass rules in Hiroshima right now?
Side agreements in Hiroshima property transactions are not common in properly handled deals with licensed brokers, but they do sometimes appear in the form of informal letters about fixtures, repair responsibilities, or occupancy timing that contradict or supplement the main contract.
The most common type of side agreement used in Hiroshima is an informal arrangement about what fixtures or appliances stay with the property, or verbal promises about repairs that never get written into the official contract, which can lead to disputes after closing.
The legal consequences foreigners face if a side agreement is discovered by authorities in Hiroshima can include the side agreement being declared unenforceable, tax penalties if the side agreement was designed to hide part of the transaction value, and difficulty pursuing claims since Japanese courts strongly favor the terms in the official registered contract.
We made this infographic to show you how property prices in Japan compare to other big cities across the region. It breaks down the average price per square meter in city centers, so you can see how cities stack up. It’s an easy way to spot where you might get the best value for your money. We hope you like it.
Can I trust real estate agents in Hiroshima in 2026?
Are real estate agents regulated in Hiroshima in 2026?
As of early 2026, real estate agents in Hiroshima are regulated under the national Real Estate Brokerage Act (宅地建物取引業法), which requires licensing, mandatory disclosures, and supervision by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.
A legitimate real estate agent in Hiroshima should have a valid real estate transaction specialist (宅地建物取引士) certificate and work for a licensed brokerage firm that holds a prefectural or national license, which is displayed at their office and referenced on official documents.
Foreigners can verify whether an agent in Hiroshima is properly licensed by using MLIT's online broker search tool, where you can look up the company name and confirm their license status, registration number, and any disciplinary history.
Please note that we have a list of contacts for you in our property pack about Hiroshima.
What agent fee percentage is normal in Hiroshima in 2026?
As of early 2026, the normal agent fee percentage in Hiroshima follows Japan's legal cap set by MLIT notice, which for most residential transactions works out to approximately 3% of the purchase price plus 60,000 yen, plus 10% consumption tax, totaling roughly 3.5% of the property price.
The typical range of agent fee percentages in Hiroshima covers 3% to 3.5% of the purchase price for most residential transactions, and any fees significantly higher than this range should raise questions since the caps are legally mandated.
In Hiroshima, both the buyer and seller often pay agent fees, though the exact arrangement depends on the deal structure, and in some cases you may only pay if you used an agent to represent your side of the transaction.
Get the full checklist for your due diligence in Hiroshima
Don't repeat the same mistakes others have made before you. Make sure everything is in order before signing your sales contract.
What due diligence actually prevents disasters in Hiroshima?
What structural inspection is standard in Hiroshima right now?
The standard structural inspection process for property purchases in Hiroshima involves hiring a qualified technician under MLIT's existing home inspection framework (既存住宅状況調査), which covers the building's foundation, structure, roof, and water intrusion, though inspections are not legally required and must be arranged by the buyer.
A qualified inspector in Hiroshima should check the foundation for cracks and settlement, roof and exterior walls for water damage, interior walls for signs of moisture or structural movement, and in hillside areas specifically, retaining walls and drainage systems.
The type of professional qualified to perform structural inspections in Hiroshima is a technician who has completed MLIT's existing home inspection training program, which provides a standardized inspection methodology recognized across Japan.
The most common structural issues that inspections reveal in Hiroshima properties include moisture damage from inadequate drainage (especially important given Hiroshima's rainy climate), foundation settling on hillside lots, aging retaining wall failures in sloped neighborhoods, and termite damage in older wooden structures.
How do I confirm exact boundaries in Hiroshima?
The standard process for confirming exact property boundaries in Hiroshima involves obtaining the registry certificate and attached survey diagrams from the Legal Affairs Bureau, though you should be aware that older registered land sizes in Japan sometimes differ from actual measured sizes due to historical surveying practices.
The official documents showing legal boundaries in Hiroshima are the cadastral map (公図) and the survey measurement diagram (地積測量図), both available through the Legal Affairs Bureau, though these may not exist or may be outdated for some older properties.
The most common boundary dispute affecting foreign buyers in Hiroshima involves unclear responsibility for retaining walls and slope maintenance in hillside neighborhoods like parts of Asaminami-ku, Asakita-ku, and Saeki-ku, where the boundary between properties can be ambiguous and maintenance obligations unclear.
The professional you should hire in Hiroshima to physically verify boundaries on the ground is a licensed land surveyor (土地家屋調査士), who can measure the actual property, compare it to registered documents, and identify any discrepancies before you commit to the purchase.
What defects are commonly hidden in Hiroshima right now?
The top three defects that sellers frequently conceal from buyers in Hiroshima are water and slope drainage problems that cause basement or foundation moisture (common due to Hiroshima's terrain and rainfall), hazard zone status where a scenic hillside property sits in a designated landslide risk area, and for condos, underfunded repair reserves that will require large owner contributions soon after purchase.
The inspection technique that helps uncover hidden defects in Hiroshima includes using moisture meters to check walls and floors for water damage, reviewing the national and municipal hazard map portals before viewing properties, and for condos, requesting the management association's financial statements and repair history to identify upcoming assessments.
We have made this infographic to give you a quick and clear snapshot of the property market in Japan. It highlights key facts like rental prices, yields, and property costs both in city centers and outside, so you can easily compare opportunities. We’ve done some research and also included useful insights about the country’s economy, like GDP, population, and interest rates, to help you understand the bigger picture.
What insider lessons do foreigners share after buying in Hiroshima?
What do foreigners say they did wrong in Hiroshima right now?
The most common mistake foreigners say they made when buying property in Hiroshima is trusting a single "helper" or intermediary too much instead of verifying everything themselves through official channels like the registry and MLIT's broker database, which left them vulnerable to misinformation or manipulation.
The top three regrets foreigners mention after buying in Hiroshima are not checking hazard maps until after they fell in love with a property and discovered it was in a landslide zone, not using MLIT's transaction price database to verify whether their offer was reasonable, and skipping the home inspection to save money only to discover expensive problems later.
The single piece of advice experienced foreign buyers most often give to newcomers in Hiroshima is to pull the official registry certificate yourself and check hazard maps before you make any emotional commitment, because once you're excited about a property, it becomes much harder to walk away from a bad deal.
The mistake foreigners say cost them the most money or caused the most stress in Hiroshima is buying a scenic hillside property without understanding the landslide risk designation or the rebuild restrictions that apply in hazard zones, which affected both their peace of mind and the property's resale value.
What do locals do differently when buying in Hiroshima right now?
The key difference in how locals approach buying property compared to foreigners in Hiroshima is that locals tend to be "process-led" rather than "listing-led," meaning they focus on verifying the paperwork, checking the hazard status, and understanding the neighborhood's practical realities before getting emotionally attached to any particular property.
The verification step locals in Hiroshima routinely take that foreigners often skip is checking the municipal hazard maps early in the search process, because everyone local knows Hiroshima's slope and river terrain creates real flood and landslide risks in specific areas that might look beautiful but carry genuine danger.
The local knowledge advantage that helps Hiroshima residents get better deals is their understanding of which neighborhoods have "cheap for a reason" pricing due to hazard zones, rebuild restrictions, or infrastructure problems, and they use MLIT's transaction price database to compare what properties actually sold for rather than just trusting listing prices.
Don't buy the wrong property, in the wrong area of Hiroshima
Buying real estate is a significant investment. Don't rely solely on your intuition. Gather the right information to make the best decision.
What sources have we used to write this blog article?
Whether it's in our blog articles or the market analyses included in our property pack about Hiroshima, we always rely on the strongest methodology we can ... and we don't throw out numbers at random.
We also aim to be fully transparent, so below we've listed the authoritative sources we used, and explained how we used them and the methods behind our estimates.
| Source | Why it's authoritative | How we used it |
|---|---|---|
| Ministry of Justice Real Property Registration | Japan's official ministry responsible for the property registry system. | We used it to explain how ownership is legally established in Japan. We based our verification advice on their registry framework. |
| MLIT Real Estate Transaction Price Information | National ministry publishing official transaction data for Japan. | We used it to recommend price verification before negotiating. We pointed readers to this as their best anti-overpay tool. |
| National Police Agency Fraud Statistics | Japan's police authority publishing official scam data and warnings. | We used it to quantify current scam prevalence in Japan. We connected their typologies to property-specific risks. |
| Hiroshima City Landslide Hazard Map | The municipal government's official hazard mapping for the city. | We used it to explain Hiroshima-specific terrain risks. We recommended checking it before committing to any hillside property. |
| MLIT Licensed Broker Search | Government database for verifying real estate agent licenses. | We used it as the primary tool for broker verification. We included it in our step-by-step protection checklist. |
| Real Estate Brokerage Act (Official Translation) | Government portal providing official English translations of Japanese law. | We used it to explain what brokers must legally do. We grounded buyer rights and protections in this framework. |
| World Justice Project Rule of Law Index 2025 | Leading independent benchmark for rule of law across 143 countries. | We used it to assess contract enforcement strength objectively. We compared Japan to other countries using their civil justice scores. |
| Hiroshima Prefecture Acquisition Tax Guidance | Prefecture tax authority explaining local tax rules and rates. | We used it to list hidden costs that surprise foreign buyers. We explained the timing and calculation of acquisition tax. |
| Legal Affairs Bureau Certificate Guidance | Official instructions for obtaining registry certificates and maps. | We used it to give readers a practical verification path. We reduced dependence on seller-provided documents by pointing here. |
| MLIT Existing Home Inspection Scheme | National ministry describing the official inspection framework. | We used it to define standard inspections in Japan. We recommended MLIT-aligned inspectors for used property purchases. |
We created this infographic to give you a simple idea of how much it costs to buy property in different parts of Japan. As you can see, it breaks down price ranges and property types for popular cities in the country. We hope this makes it easier to explore your options and understand the market.
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